Three children found among a group of homeless people in Portland Oregon

Identities of the three children remain unknown

May 25, 2012

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WRITTEN BY: Jennifer Dimaano

Portland, Oregon Flag

Image Source: Mysid via wikicomons

On Thursday three small children were found amongst a group of homeless people in a vacant lot in Portland, Oregon with no parent in sight.

Two girls and a boy all under the age of 3 were discovered after a call to police Thursday morning. The oldest is a boy about 3 years old, a girl about 2 and an infant girl about 8 to 15 months.

The caller reported to hearing children’s voices coming from a shed behind his house in 7900 block of Southeast Rhine Street. In a police report, the shed was said to be on a vacant lot.

Resident, Judy Baxter, said, “We have a real homeless problem in our neighborhood so I keep an eye across the street.” Baxter noticed strangers walking along the side of the vacant house across the street. She said she saw a man in his 20’s and a red-headed woman on the property, so she called the property owner as well as suggested the owner call the non-emergency police line.

After the police call was made, several police officers arrived at the vacant lot around 9 am. Baxter witnessed the kids walking out holding hands with state child welfare workers. The children were bundled in coats and given stuffed animals. “Little did I know they had three babies in the backyard…it was real sad when we saw the kids come out,” Baxter said.

Homeless people in the area told police that the kids were dropped off the night before by a woman, possibly to be the children’s mother.

The three children have been taken into custody of the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) to be given medical evaluations. The identities of the three children remain unknown as well as if the three are siblings. It is asked that anyone with information about the children and their identities to contact the DHS Child Abuse Hotline at (503) 731-3100.